Students at Sheffield’s Pipworth Primary School have thanked local residents for ‘caring for their air’ after spending the day learning about the importance of clean air through a fun-filled day of activities led by Sheffield City Council’s Modeshift Stars team.
Sheffield City Council’s Modeshift Stars project, which is part funded through investment from Sheffield’s Clean Air Zone (CAZ) and the Department for Transport, offers a wide range of initiatives, including cycling skills, scooter skills, anti-idling campaigns and more, to participating Sheffield schools.
Through the £1m Clean Air Zone investment, the Modeshift Stars team have a team member focusing specifically on delivering clean air initiatives, teaching school children about pollution, how it affects them, their health, and the environment around them.
On the day, the team took the students through a series of engaging exercises which aimed to educate the children about the different causes of air pollution, particularly around their school, including the harmful air pollutants emitted from car engines and the impact of engine idling.
The team also explained to students what they, and their parents, can do to help clean up the air they breathe – including anti-idling measures and active travel, such as walking, scooting or cycling, for journey’s to and from school.
Up to 50 per cent of all Nitrogen Dioxide released into Sheffield’s air caused by roadside traffic, with idling engines pumping out up to twice the emissions of a moving car. The health implications of poor air quality can be extremely harmful and can lead to life changing diseases. Those most vulnerable to pollution related health issues are un-born babies and young children.
The Modeshift Stars Team led a full school assembly on the day showcasing different clean air experiments. The students also made their own active travel badges to take home to their parents to remind them to turn off their engines at school drop-off and pick-up. They also designed pollution catchers, took part in clean air debates and went on clean air walks to count traffic flow on Sheffield Parkway.
Students shared their thoughts on the need for cleaner air and thanked parents and local residents for helping to care for their air around their school.
Clean air is important because it contains oxygen and oxygen is gas which we breathe, if the air gets polluted, human beings will be exposed to more respiratory infections in the lungs, which can lead to death.
Muhammed, a student at the school
There’s many options, like walking, cycling, scooting and skateboarding, even taking the bus and park and stride. The more cars that are on the road, the worse the pollution will be, it will also be more dangerous for pedestrians.
Isobel, who sits on the Pipworth School Council
Pipworth Primary School, already a park and stride zone, is due to have its School Street installed in March 2025 – the 18th school in the city to benefit from the scheme. CAZ investment is being used to install more School Streets across the city next year. Investment from Clean Air Zone has also allowed the Modeshift Stars team to expand, enabling them to support even more schools across Sheffield with clean air and active travel initiatives and activities.
We had a great day at Pipworth Primary School, the children were super curious about clean air and really understand that fumes from cars are bad for us. We want families to think about how they can change their habits when travelling to school as it will be much better for them, their health and the environment.
Through this programme we are able to educate children and give them the skills for life to think about active travel, not only as young children, but going up through their years, whether they are travelling to school, university, or to work in the future, it motives them and their families, which in turn benefits the air quality in Sheffield long term.
Georgina Simons, Modeshift Stars Active Travel Officer
It was brilliant having the Modeshift Stars team at the school talking to students about the importance of clean air, and why it’s so important to walk, cycle or scoot to school, and contribute to cleaner air around our school community - particularly as we are soon going to have a School Street implemented.
It was importance to raise awareness with the children that they do have a choice when it comes to travelling to school, particularly those that live within the five-minute walk zone. Today, the Modeshift Stars team have given the children the knowledge they need to share with their parents to empower them to make that change.
Maria Jackson Brown, Pipworth Community School Deputy Headteacher
It’s been two years on since we launched the Clean Air Zone (CAZ) in Sheffield, and we know that everyone’s hard work is really helping to decrease the harmful levels of nitrogen dioxide in Sheffield, but there’s still more to be done, particularly when it comes to protecting the health of our children and young people.
Through the Clean Air Investment Fund, we have been able to fund valuable clean air initiatives, such as Modeshift Stars, enabling us to educate children about the impact of poor air quality on their health and environment around us. We have expanded our School Streets programme, enabling us to take care of the air surrounding schools and protect young lungs from the harmful effects of air pollution. Additionally, we’re also cracking down on engine idling, and have reached out to local bus, coach and taxi operators, asking them to switch off their engines whilst stationary, particularly near schools.
Cllr Ben Miskell, Chair of the Transport, Regeneration and Climate Policy Committee at Sheffield City Council
Learn more about what Sheffield City Council is doing to improve air quality around the city. Anti-idling | Sheffield City Council